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Why Your Diet is the First Thing You Should Change When Diagnosed with Thyroid Disease

Why Your Diet is the First Thing You Should Change When Diagnosed with Thyroid DiseaseHave you been diagnosed with thyroid disease? What do you change first?

Your diet should be the first thing you change.

I completely understand how overwhelming this may seem especially if you’re hypothyroid— you’re exhausted, moody and just want to crawl under the covers. I’ve been there. But, if you make some slow changes to the foods you’re eating, you could start getting that energy back sooner than expected.

Why should you change your diet? Because the foods you eat directly affect your endocrine system. The fats, carbs, proteins, vitamins, minerals, etc. all play a role in your disease and symptoms. When given the proper nutrients, our bodies can begin the healing process.

Why Your Diet is the First Thing You Should Change When Diagnosed with Thyroid Disease

How do you get started when you’re completely exhausted?

Here are two steps to begin:

1. Add one extra vegetable to your plate at each meal.
2. Get rid of unhealthy fats (canola oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, soy oil, margarine, and any other processed fat/oil) and replace them with healthy saturated fats like coconut oil, organic butter, ghee, lard, tallow, or duck fat.

The right fats in the diet can feed our metabolism at a cellular level and give our bodies the nourishment they need to assimilate vitamins from the foods we’re eating. That may start to give you some much needed energy.

A tablespoon at each meal is a good place to start. Some people need a bit more and some need a bit less. Add the healthy fats to your diet, see you how feel, and adjust for your body.

After you’ve successfully added one extra vegetable at each meal and gotten rid of unhealthy fats (it’s ok if this takes a while!), then you should start working to remove gluten from your diet.

Why Your Diet is the First Thing You Should Change When Diagnosed with Thyroid Disease

Here are some of my favorite gluten-free recipes:
Crock Pot Chicken Fajita Bowl

Eggs Florentine

Pumpkin Spice Waffles

Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Kale

Beef Chili

Teriyaki Salmon 

The Perfect Green Smoothie

Beef Enchiladas

Chicken Lettuce Cups

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

And, if you need a whole book full of gluten-free recipes, check out The Grain-Free Family Table. If you have other food intolerances, click here to see a list of recipes by dietary need.

Do you think you can take the first step today? What do you think will be your biggest obstacle? Please comment below so we can all discuss and encourage one another!

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28 Comments

  3. Kathy

    I was diagnosed 21 years ago..... well, I'm not sure I really want to give my Dr. credit for diagnosing me. I had some symptoms that I went to my Dr. with that worried me. At the school science fair at my kids school they had nurses giving free cholesterol tests. One year it was well into the 200's and the following year it was even higher. The nurses at the science fair suggested I see my Dr. Another alarming thing that was happening was that I was having heart palpitations. So I went to see my Doctor and told him about the cholesterol numbers and the heart palpitations. He did an EKG and said it was normal. He wanted to start me on medication to bring down my cholesterol numbers. I told him I didn't want to go on medication, and that I would lose some weight and see if I could bring my #'s down that way first. I started doing Weight Watchers. Then I was reading an article in my Weight Watchers magazine. The title of the article was something like "Diseases that Masquerade as other Something Else" I started reading the disease "High Cholesterol" the symptoms were : high cholesterol, heart palpitations, very dry skin, tiredness, feeling cold, etc. And the disease that the high cholesterol was really hiding was thyroid disease. So I called I went to my Dr. and told him that I would like him to order me a thyroid test. I'll never forget the look on his face... so patronizing. He gave me a look like he was thinking "oh, cute, she's trying to diagnose herself." I'm surprised he didn't pat me on the head as I left to get my blood drawn. When I had my next appointment, and he looked at my chart and looked at me and said with great surprise in his voice "You do have thyroid disease! What made you think you had that, and what were the symptoms you were having?" So I pulled that article out of my purse for him to read. Because I certainly hoped to educate him so that the next person he had in there that had high cholesterol, and the other symptoms, that he would at least run the blood test. Dr.'s should just do that test in general. At my next Weight Watchers meeting I was telling my friend about my symptoms I was having and about the magazine article, and asking my Dr. for a test and it was low thyroid. 2 weeks after that a lady told me that she had over heard me telling my friend, and because she had those same symptoms she had gone to her Dr. and asked to be tested, and she also had it. So I think it's great you are bring it up, because it is such a common thing. Reading your article I was surprised to read that thyroid people should stay away from gluten. I had only heard that people with IBS should avoid it. Can you maybe talk more about what gluten does to people with thyroid disease? I was eating some of the meet free alternatives, until a couple years ago I finally found out that soy is bad for our thyroids. Do you feel that people can completely restore their thyroid function with diet? Although I kind of swing back and forth with the level of "good eating" that I keep trying to do, I could probably easily add one extra vegetable at a meal, I still have been using canola oil, basically because I have used it so long from when I had read it was a healthier oil to use. So now I guess I need to try to switch it over to coconut oil then? I have already switched from margarine to real butter many years ago, although not organic butter. I have also stopped buying low fat things and gone back to full fat mayo and full fat organic milk. I don't use much of either, but think it's better to use whole fats instead of the lower fat items where they put more chemicals and crap in it. Anyway, I'm so sorry this is so long. I urge everyone to get their thyroid tested at least every other year. If I had listened to my Dr. he would just have had me take cholesterol lowering drugs, and who knows how much longer I would have gone without being diagnosed. I look forward to more on this, and to read others experiences.
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    • Deliciously Organic

      I'm sorry to hear that you struggled for so many years, but am also glad you were able to figure things out. Avoiding all gluten is really a must for those struggling with thyroid disease. Here's a great article on this topic (he also has so much fantastic info on his site!): https://drknews.com/eating-gluten-increases-need-for-thyroid-hormones/ Everyone is different, but I do believe much can be done to heal the thyroid with diet alone. It's also important to find out what nutrient deficiencies you have and then have a holisitic practitioner or nutritionist give you whole food supplement recommendations. Staying away from all canola oil and using butter, ghee, coconut oil, etc. instead is a good idea.
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  4. Jan Simonis

    So good to hear from you! It appears that hypothyroidism is a family curse...my Mother, me, my sister and firstborn son in grade school whom I took to many Drs. ("He's just a kid who grows in spurts"). I finally took him to a pediatric specialist whose 1st question was "Is there anyone in your family who has thyroid problems?". He recognized the rounded face immediately and started him on synthroid. I was so happy we found the answer I cried and thanked the Lord that night. I have finally taken control of my health..I have quit taking lansoprazole (similar to Prevacid) and take Bragg's Apple cider in 8 oz. of water w/a little stevia 3X a day. No more GERD! I'm shopping at Thrive Market and got free coconut oil which I love..many more animal fats and steamed veggies. I had unexpected 50 lb. weight loss in 3 months and still losing. Had to buy new wardrobe...jeans bought 6 weeks ago are too big..need a belt. My diabetes is quite stable, also..might not even have it anymore! Been taking excellent probiotics from Probiotics America which have helped my gut pain. I see my primary Dr. end of Nov. and I will be going over all my remaining meds with him as I believe I am on too many Metformin (3 a day) and my blood pressure is low and I shouldn't be on 2 different kinds. You are my inspiration, Carrie...thank you so much for putting your health journey out there for us! Now,if I could only get rid of the Hep-C. It took my dear husband of 25 yrs. at age 47. But I get an ultrasound of my upper right quadrant annually along with a blood test for tumor markers and my liver is very well. A woman Dr. who is an endocrinologist and specializes in getting to the root cause of autoimmune disorders is setting up a private practice with another Dr. near to this city and they will be putting on a presentation when they are set...problem is that they accept NO insurance. The Lord will provide if she can help me. Keep up the good fight, Carrie! Regards, jan
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  7. Tatia

    You mentioned above that 1 tablespoon of healthy fats per meal was a good place to start. Do you mean by just taking it? Or by cooking in it? My mother and I have been enjoying your book. I suspect we have endocrine system issues, but not sure exactly what. We've both had a chronic cough for years that the doctors (of course) can't figure out. She's had it for 30+ years and me for 15 or so years. You've given us hope again that there MUST be a solution!
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  9. Katie

    Very do-able tips! When I was first diagnosed with hashimoto's, I went to several endocrinologists to get different opinions on what I could do, apart from medication, to help heal my thyroid. Ha! I got no help. So, I experimented by changing my diet and then having blood work done to help measure any changes. Removing gluten brought my antibody numbers way down. Lowering my added sugar and increasing fats (I was totally fat-phobic) helped bring my TSH numbers down as well. So many of us are told by our docs that diet doesn't have an effect on thyroid and yet, many of us find that removing gluten totally has a positive effect. So important to be your own advocate and find a great doc!!
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  10. Kelly

    I love your story, Carrie. I too am trying to battle Hashimoto's through diet alone. I just began a gluten free diet two months ago and just found out my TgAb has been cut in half! It's so exciting to think the antibodies might continue to decrease. My TPOAbs also decreased...by 10%. My TSH, however, increased to 4.8. I really want to avoid beginning medication, but I'm torn about how high my TSH should go before I have to say yes to medicine. Can you tell me what your highest TSH level and antibodies were during your struggle?
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